High-powered team examines Balochistan concerns on water flows.

HYDERABAD -- A high-profile team comprising federal and provincial ministers from Balochistan, Indus River System Authority (Irsa) chairman and members as well as top officials visited Sukkur barrage on Saturday to discuss water availability in the wake of the province's complaint that it is not getting the required water flows.

They discussed the water flows threadbare, particularly from Balochistan's point of view, at the Sukkur barrage, where officials briefed them about water flows statistics and the percentage of shortage that Sindh province was bearing currently at its three barrages when it was peak time of Kharif sowing of paddy crop in non-perennial and perennial canals.

Irsa chairman Zahid Junejo, who is from Sindh, along with Punjab member Amjad Saeed, Balochistan member Hameed Mengal, KP member Zahid Abbas, water resources joint secretary Mehar Ali Shah, Federal Minster for Science and Technology Agha Hassan Baloch, Balochistan Irrigation Minister Mohammad Khan Lahri, Balochistan irrigation secretary Fatah Mohammad Bhangar, Sindh special secretary irrigation Jamal Mangan, chief engineers of Sukkur left and right bank canals as well as Guddu barrage and MNA Khalid Magsi were present.

The team visited the barrage to assess the situation after some federal ministers and national assembly members representing the province had shared their concerns with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over unavailability of water flows in their province, followed by a meeting in Islamabad on Thursday.

Balochistan's representatives pressed the point that 6,000 cusecs of water flows should be provided to the province from Guddu barrage and 2,400 cusecs from Sukkur barrage to which they were told if this was to happen, then Sindh needed to have 115,000 cusecs of water upstream of Sukkur barrage with a pond level of 204. 'And requirement of 2,400 cusecs of water demand is in line with three-tier formula that Sindh resists and doesn't agree to. If this quantum is to be provided then 115,000 cusecs must be provided to Sukkur barrage upstream,' remarked one official.

Balochistan gets its share of water through Garang regulator of Kirthar canal of Sukkur barrage at RD-102 and from Pat Feeder's RD-109 of Guddu barrage. Currently, Balochistan province was being provided 571 cusecs at Garang regulator against allocated share of 2,200 cusecs (74pc shortage) and 3,549 cusecs at...